Efficacy of a combined bezafibrate retard-colestyramine treatment in patients with hypercholesterolemia

• Published in: Arzneimittel-Forschung Vol. 40; no. 4; p. 469
• Main Authors: Fischer, S, Hanefeld, M, Lang, P D, Fücker, K, Bergmann, S, Gehrisch, S, Leonhardt, W, Jaross, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.04.1990
• Subjects: Bezafibrate - administration & dosage; Bezafibrate - adverse effects; Bezafibrate - therapeutic use; Cholestyramine Resin - administration & dosage; Cholestyramine Resin - adverse effects; Cholestyramine Resin - therapeutic use; Delayed-Action Preparations; Double-Blind Method; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Lipids - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• ISSN: 0004-4172

In a placebo-controlled randomized study the effect of combined bezafibrate-colestyramine therapy in comparison with monotherapy with both drugs was investigated. 47 patients with primary hypercholesterolemia received 400 mg bezafibrate (Cedur) retard/d, subsequently bezafibrate retard plus colestyramine (24 g/d) or colestyramine plus placebo in a double-blind fashion. The combination therapy was most effective (LDL decrease 36%, HDL-C increase 31%, apoprotein B decrease 28%), bezafibrate and colestyramine were equally effective with regard to LDL-C and apoprotein B, but only bezafibrate decreased triglycerides (-37%) and increased HDL-C (+24%). Bezafibrate was well-tolerated, but gastro-intestinal side-effects were frequent during therapy with colestyramine, and 16 patients tolerated only a reduced dosage of this drug. From the results presented it can be concluded that combined therapy with bezafibrate retard plus colestyramine is highly effective in the treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia.